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Alberta

Scotia Place – Calgary unveils design for new arena / events centre

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News release from the City of Calgary

Scotia Place, Calgary’s new event centre, designed as a place for community where there is room for everyone

The City of Calgary and Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) are excited to reveal the design for Calgary’s new event centre – formally named Scotia Place.

The design is influenced by the ancestral and historical land of Indigenous Peoples and the culturally significant site that embodies our shared purpose – to gather. It brings together Indigenous cultural perspectives with Calgary’s and the region’s natural beauty, reflecting the four elements of nature – fire, ice, land and air.

A striking feature of the building is the central structure with a textured flame motif that emulates a home fire, which is further amplified when it is lit at night. The home fire, a place of warmth and energy that brings people together to share stories of the past and create stories for the future, rises from the white, glacial-like forms that define the lower parts of the building.

“When you consider that Calgary is already the envy of other cities with a new world-class convention centre in the heart of the Culture + Entertainment District, the addition of Scotia Place is another signal to investors that our city understands how to build a future that leverages hospitality and hosting as its core strengths,” says Mayor Jyoti Gondek. “We are also acknowledging and honouring the foundational role that Indigenous communities have played for generations in making Calgary, and now Scotia Place, a space where we all belong.”

Scotia Place, which is scheduled to open in fall 2027, celebrates the area’s importance as a place for all and will be a landmark attraction in Calgary’s emerging Culture + Entertainment District. More than a building, however, the 10-acre city block is designed for community and connection and includes a community rink, outdoor and indoor plazas spaces, four restaurants, the Calgary Flames Team Store, and future development opportunity in the northeast corner. It will provide gathering places and amenities for the 8,000 people who will live in this new downtown neighbourhood.

“Calgary has a long history of hosting world-class events, drawing millions of visitors to the city each year, generating revenue for local businesses, and boosting the economy,” says Danielle Smith, Premier of the Province of Alberta. “With construction on the Calgary Rivers District and Event Centre now underway, Calgary is one step closer to a revitalized downtown that will bring new energy into the city, attract more exciting events, and create jobs to improve the quality of life for Calgarians.”

A development permit application for the facility was submitted on July 19, 2024. This was a significant milestone for the project team, consisting of CAA ICON, HOK-DIALOG, and CANA/Mortenson. People interested in following or commenting on the permit can find the application at Calgary.ca/dmap. The application is expected to be heard by the Calgary Planning Commission by end of 2024.

“This is an important day for Calgary,” says Councillor Sonya Sharp, Event Centre Committee Chair. “Today is about so much more than the designs of a building. Today is the unveiling of a place where Calgarians and visitors from around the world will make memories at concerts, and sport and community events. I hope that everyone is as excited as we are, knowing that Scotia Place will become the complete experience in our new Culture & Entertainment District.”

“At CSEC, a key component of our mission is to be the heartbeat of our community, create connections and bring people together,” said Robert Hayes, CSEC President and CEO. “Scotia Place will become the perfect home to achieve and share this mission with all Calgarians. Seeing the design brings the vision of so many contributors to life. We are especially thankful to the City of Calgary and the Province of Alberta for their leadership and support to help bring us to this point. In stride with our partner Scotiabank, we are very proud to play our role in presenting Scotia Place as the culmination of diligence and passion, that is now visual in this breathtakingly beautiful and meaningful facility.”

“For years we have seen firsthand the value these partnerships bring to the communities in which we operate and for our clients,” said Aris Bogdaneris, Group Head, Canadian Banking of Scotiabank. “Scotia Place introduces a bold new vision for what will be Alberta’s premier sports and entertainment venue. For nearly 20 years, Scotiabank has been a proud partner of Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation and together, we are committed to bring fans and our clients an unforgettable experience when they walk through the doors of Scotia Place.”

“We are excited to start the construction of the critical infrastructure needed to build thousands of new homes and to make the Calgary’s new Culture + Entertainment district a reality,” says Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors. “Albertans expect basic infrastructure to be maintained and improved and this commitment from the province goes a long way in helping Calgary build these projects.”

Acknowledging the significance of the building’s location at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers on the ancestral land of the Treaty 7 Peoples and the Metis Nation, The City, CSEC, HOK-DIALOG and CAA ICON worked with an Indigenous Advisory Group that included representatives from the Treaty 7 Nations, the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region 3, and the Urban Indigenous community throughout the design process.

“It was great to be part of a truly representative voice that included all indigenous peoples of southern Alberta regarding the design of this center acknowledging the historic significance of the land it sits on to the Metis people,” said Carmen Lasante Captain of the Calgary Elbow Metis District. “Inclusivity is a core part of who the Metis are. The City has worked hard to include many diverse histories together in creating this space.”

“Engaging in the right way is fundamental to the success of relationship development with the Indigenous communities, as we have played a critical role in the identity of the land now known as the city of Calgary as the Indigenous nations are inextricable linked to the landscape and environment,” says Ira Provost, Piikani Nation Consultation

A key theme heard often during the Indigenous engagement sessions was “Come in, there is room”, making it clear that Scotia Place needs to be a place that is designed for all.

The public plazas are designed to honour the deep-rooted connection that Indigenous Peoples have with the land, incorporating representations of the tipi, Métis Trapper’s Tent, and elements of Alberta’s world-renown natural landscape.

An important design decision was to lower the event and ice surface so that the primary concourse will be at street-level. Calgarians and visitors will be able to move seamlessly between the curb, the primary concourse and the outdoor public plazas.

“We at DIALOG are thrilled to join forces with HOK and combine our unique expertise to transform Calgary’s Event Centre into the catalyst for a dynamic new urban community,” says Doug Cinnamon, Partner Architect at DIALOG.

“Other design principles including public realm activation, the integration of indigenous influences, public art & storytelling, sustainability, and a balance between past, present, and future is central to our vision. The ultimate goal is to ensure seamless accessibility, promote mixed uses, and create vibrant public areas for everyone to enjoy. This joint redesign represents an opportunity to spur investment into the area and enhance its cultural vitality, anchoring Calgary’s position as a thriving, bustling community hub.”

Scotia Place is a generational investment in Calgary’s emerging vibrant Culture + Entertainment District. A modern event centre with universal accessible design throughout and with energy and water conservation built in to maximize efficiencies and the ability to be net-zero by 2050, Scotia place is designed to serve Calgary’s growing community for decades to come.

Construction begins this week. Additional information about Scotia Place including design renderings, a video, and frequently asked questions is available on Calgary.ca/ScotiaPlace.

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Alberta

US media talk to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in Washington

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From the Facebook page of Danielle Smith

Alberta is a reliable ally. We don’t just talk trade, we deliver energy, resources, and opportunity.
Had the chance to join Bloomberg in Washington, DC to talk about what matters most: securing North American energy dominance, tackling harmful tariffs, and building smarter partnerships between Canada and the U.S.
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Alberta

Pro-life activist describes how child traffickers take advantage of Alberta’s abortion lax laws

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From LifeSiteNews

By Anthony Murdoch

A recent article recounted how a 13-year-old girl was ‘sold’ to sex traffickers, found to be pregnant by her captors, and forced to take chemical abortion pills.

Richard Dur, a political consultant who serves as the executive director of Prolife Alberta, shared grisly details of how human traffickers are taking advantage of the province’s lax abortion laws to get away with essentially whatever they want when it comes to innocent life.

In a recent opinion piece for Juno News, Dur wrote about the shocking tale of a 13-year-old girl who was “sold” to sex traffickers. She was forced to come to western Canada from the Montreal area, found to be pregnant by her captors, and was then forced to take chemical abortion pills.

Dur noted that the girl’s traffickers knew that Alberta, notably the Red Deer area, was “good business,” as the “profits were higher.”

After the girl missed her period, the trafficker’s minder found out, as his job was to “watch the girls, track the bleeding, report anything that might interrupt business.”

The men had in place a “quiet solution” for such situations, that being abortion pills, which are widely available in Alberta without a prescription or doctor visits.

“No doctor’s visit. No age check — not that it would have mattered. Just two pills, mailed discreetly to the door of a short-term rental in southeast Calgary. One to stop the pregnancy. One to flush it out. Reproductive freedom — streamlined for traffickers,” Dur wrote.

After the girl was forced to take the pills, she bled all night by herself. She was forced back to “work” the next day.

Dur noted that this girl’s story is not “fiction” or “hypothetical” but is the “hidden reality behind Project Endgame — Alberta’s largest human trafficking bust.”

Police in the province have noted that traffickers have operated this way for over a decade, with victims being “coerced, transported, and exploited.”

In Alberta, Mifegymiso, which became available to Canadians in 2017, is now legal and free, allowing many women to kill their unborn babies at home without any medical supervision, often resulting in severe injuries to the mother in addition to the trauma of seeing their murdered baby. No ID, pregnancy test or medical exam is required.

Dur noted that another woman, “an older girl, or the trafficker’s assistant,” can obtain the drugs easily for anyone.

“No proof of pregnancy required. All it takes is a phone call and a mailing address. Or the trafficker standing over her, watching, listening. He never needs to leave the room. He never needs to lose control,” he wrote.

Canada’s “free” contraceptive law was passed last year and came about as a result of Bill C-64. The law was introduced by the former government of Justin Trudeau.

Drugs for at-home chemical abortions are typically done in the form of drugs like Mifegymiso. In January, Campaign Life Coalition reported that a 19-year-old Canadian girl died after taking Mifegymiso.

Free contraception is not ‘liberation’ but allows for ‘a license for exploitation,’ says Dur

Dur recounted that the story of the young women forced into the underground sex trade shows how the current system in Alberta and Canada has resulted in girls being enslaved at shocking rates.

“When a 13-year-old girl can be trafficked, abused, and silenced with a phone call and two pills, we must ask: who, exactly, is this system protecting? But she is not the exception,” he wrote.

“She is the victim of a system functioning exactly as it’s been designed to — with no guardrails. That’s not liberation. That’s a license for exploitation.”

Dur observed that for all the Alberta government says it does to combat trafficking, “there’s a glaring loophole in its strategy — one traffickers depend on.”

“Its name? On-demand abortion access,” he noted.

While the United Conservative Government (UCP) has promised to do more to combat traffickers, with Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis saying “Human trafficking is a serious and often hidden crime that devastates lives and communities,” the reality is that it is hidden due in part to abortion pills.

“A trafficker can control a young girl’s body, her movements, and even the consequences of his crimes — because Alberta allows it. If we are serious about protecting the exploited, we must be serious about what’s enabling their continued exploitation,” Dur wrote.

Dur noted that if traffickers can cross borders “without inspection, why wouldn’t they exploit abortion access that’s just as unguarded?”

According to Ellis “We’re not just trying to make headlines — we’re trying to change lives.”

Dur said that the “change” should start today with changing the policy regarding abortion pills taken at home.

“Change the policy that lets predators cover their crimes with a phone call and a mailing address. Close the loophole that puts abortion — chemical or surgical — in the hands of men exploiting vulnerable girls, with no age restriction, no parental notification, no questions, and no oversight,” he noted.

“Because right now, Alberta rescues victims with one hand — and hands them back to their abusers with the other.”

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